I recently signed up for an answering service to handle all my calls.  So far, I must say I am thrilled.

UPDATE 11/10/2010:  Answering Specialists made too many mistakes, and I switched to AnswerConnect last month.  They offered a free month if I signed up for a 3 month plan, $150/month for 150 minutes.  Go to this post for more information.

Previously, I was using my local phone company’s messaging service, which is the next-best thing.  This service can be set up to send you email notifications whenever someone leaves a message, and also a text message to your cell phone.  You log onto a website and can hear the message in a click of a button.   However, it was still an “answering machine” and I found that many people weren’t leaving messages.

I used to use an overseas-based answering service but discontinued.  The overseas answering service wasn’t terrible, and was cheap ($50/month).  I didn’t like the connection– there was an odd delay and click sound when the line transferred to the answering service, which made it quite obvious to the caller that she was being re-routed.

Getting an answering service is in line with my Guerilla Chiropractic marketing philosophy of less staff (headaches), less paperwork, and leveraging technology to create more free time for yourself and less stress.  In fact, it’s mandatory if you are a one-doctor office and haven’t found a decent chiropractic assistant in years.  This new service answers the line the way I instruct them to, and is OK with me giving the operators specific instructions on how to answer the most basic types of calls, such as:

• How much do you charge for an appointment?
• Do you take my insurance?
• What are your hours?

My answering service is U.S. based.  The calls seamlessly transfer to the answering service by using the *73 function on my office phone.  I actually made a post last August, but just started using them in October, after abandoning my phone messaging service.

I emailed the answering service manager a list of the most common questions to expect, and how they should be answered.  This information appears on a computer screen for quick reference so the operator can offer the information.  However, their basic response is, “the doctor is currently with a patient.  Let me take your name and number and someone will get back to you today.”

The results?  I feel like I’m not missing any calls!  People are more likely to leave their name and number with a human than a machine, especially if the human sounds like she is part of my in-office staff.  One time I took my usual 20-minute lunch at Subway just a block from my office, and during that short time I received two text messages notifying me  that two new patients were scheduled.  Why pay someone $18/hr to do this when you can pay an answering service $65 a MONTH?

Anyways, go Guerilla and consider using an answering service in your office.  The feeling that someone is watching your back is great, and you’ll love the savings.